Tensioning and guide device for ironing cords



F. P. YETT Sept 2, 1941.

TENSIONING AND GUIDE DEVICE FOR IRONING CORDS Filed Dec. 12, 1940 IINVENTOR PM a? yaw Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFrrcETENSIONING AND GUIDE DEVICE FOR IRON- IN G CORDS Frank P. Yett,Jeannette, Pa.

Application December 12, 1940, Serial No. 369,799 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-51)One object of my invention is to provide means in connection with anelectric iron and an ironing board, for taking up the slack in the cordor cable that carries the wires which supply electrical current to thesmoothing iron.

Another object'of my invention is to provide a guide device forsupporting an electric cable of the character referred to, in suchmanner that the device will have pivotal or swiveling move-' ment on anironing board, so that its angularity will be automatically changed inaccordance with irregular movements of a smoothing iron on an ironingboard.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a perspective view showing mydevice in operative position upon an ironing board, and Fig. 2 is a viewon an enlarged scale showing the cord tensioning and guide elements ofFig. 1.

The apparatus is adapted for use on any conventional surface such as atable top or an ironing board 3 and comprises a bracket 4 that has aclamping lug 5 and a clamp screw 6 whereby the bracket may convenientlybe attached to an ironing board or table top. An upright 1 is rigidlyconnected to the bracket 4 and has a central upstanding stud 8 whichserves as a pivot pin for a swiveled bracket 9. The bracket 9 hasupstanding ears l and II between which rollers l2 and I3 respectivelyare journaled, on pins or shafts l and I6 respectively. The bracket 9also carries upstanding posts or ears I! in which a retaining roller i8is rotatably supported by a bolt l9 which has a wing nut that canconveniently be removed to permit removal of the roller l8 and placingof an electric cord or cable on the guide rollers l2 and Hi, the rollerit, when replaced, serving to prevent accidental displacement of thecord from the rollers l2 and it.

any suitable material, but I prefer some insulating material such aswood, as an element oi safety in case the cord should become frayed and,the wires therein be exposed.

The cord 2| has the usual plug element 24 which may be inserted in areceptacle or outlet, whether such outlet is located in the baseboard.side wall molding or the ceiling of a room. The other end of the cordcan be hooked to irons having terminals at either their ends or theirsides.

- A hook 2|a carried by the iron base has finger The guide bracket 9 hasa central recess for receiving the stud 8, so that such bracket willhave pivotal movement on a vertical axis. The cord Ed is connected to afiat iron 22 in the usual manner, and it will be seen that as the iro ismoved to one longitudinal edge or the other of the board 3, the guidebracket 9 will swivel on its support, so that the cord 2i will remain incorrectly seated position in the groove of the roller l2. Also, theplacing of the rollers l2 and I3 near the front and rear edges of thebracket 9 tends to centralize the weight imposed on the-bracket by thepull on the cord through movement of the smoothing iron and the weightelement hereinafter referred to. The bracket 9 is therefore not solikely to bind on the pivot element 8.

portions engaging the finger piece Zlb of the ter- -minal sockets on theiron cord, to prevent disconnection of the cord 2| from the iron. Thefingers may suitably be spring wire. A slack take-up metal weight 25which may be or aluminum only 3 oz. in weight, and in the shape of a Tpipe fitting is held in adjustedposition upon the cord M by a clampingblock 26 which may suitably be of wood, and is split in its upperportion, the lower end fitting in the threads formed in the upper branchof the T. A bumperelement 2'! of cork or rubber is fitted into the lowerend of the weight 25, to cushion the fall of the weight. At its upperend, the bushing 26 is held in tight engagement with the cord by aclamping collar 28 and a screw 29, the elements28 and 29 functioningafter the manner of an ordinary garden hose clamp. The cord 2! extendsthrough the bushing 26 and a bushing 21a in the side branch of thefitting 25, and the weight is adjustable therealong as above indicated.Passing of the cord through the sldeof the weight prevents damagethereof by the weight bumping the floor. In order to prevent the weight25 and the cord from swaying excessively, I provide a guide bracket 30that may suitably be of wood and is provided with wooden guide rollers31! and 32, the roller 32 being removably supported by a bolt 33, topermit convenient insertion of an electric cord into the guide. Theshank of the bracket 30 extends through a hole in the upright l and isdetachably supported therein, it being held against the holes in theshank of the bracket. I

It will be seen that during use of the iron, the cord and the weight 25will be drawn upwardly, the guide bracket at being at such height thatit will let the weight rise a suilicient distance to permit the iron tocover substantially the whole board. For longer boards, the weightelement 25 could be moved still further down and the weight of thatportion of the cord at the rear of the upright I could be depended uponto take up the The elements l, 9, l2, l3 and it may be made of slackwhen the iron moves back to nearly the position shown in Fig. 1. Bymaking the upright I of considerable height, there is less danger ofthat portion of the cord in the vicinity of the .smoothing iron comingin contact with the articles on the ironing board than would be the caseif a guide pulley or pulleys. were mounted directly at the rear-edge ofthe board. I have found that the upright 1 may suitably be one foot ormore in length. Also. it will be seen that the bracket 4 and the uprightcan be mounted at any desired location on the end or at the side of anironing board or table top, and that the guide bracket 8 will,nevertheless, always be in position to properly guide the ironing cord.It is also to be noted that a weight element fixedly connected to thecord as is the member 25 is preferable to a V pulley, since it will workequally well whether the end 24 of the cord is plugged into thebaseboard Or at a higher point in the wall.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an iron cord, of a slack take-up and guidedevice therefor, comprising an upright member, means for connecting thelower end of the member to an ironing board,

a bracket mounted on the upper end of said member, for swivelingmovement on a vertical axis, a guide roller on said bracket, forsupporting the cord. a stationary guiding bracket 01; the uprightmember, and having engagement with the cord, to guide the cord andprevent swaying thereof, and a weight carried by that portion of thecord which normally is below the guiding bracket.

2. The combination with an iron cord, of a slack take-up and guidedevice therefor, compriling an upright. member, means for connecting thelower end of the member to an ironing board, a bracket mounted on theupper end of said memher, for swiveling movement on a vertical axis. aguide roller on said bracket, for supporting the cord, a stationaryguiding bracket on the upright

